Tubers Rescued From Dan River Swift Waters On July 4th

Madison, NC -- Some 4th of July fun on the Dan River in Madison turned into a rescue mission.

Emergency Management Director, Johnny Bowles, tells WFMY News 2 that about 14 people tubing on the Dan River Thursday morning had to be rescued after they encountered swift waters.

Bowles said the Madison Rescue Squad received a call from someone who works at a business close to the distressed tubers. That person saw the group in trouble sometime between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., Thursday.

Seven to eight members of the rescue squad helped the tubers. Everyone was treated after they were pulled from the water and should be okay, Bowles said.

Watch the video to hear from two members of the Madison Rescue Squad who saved the tubers.

The company the tubers were using, Dan Rivers Adventures released a statement about the incident: "We made a judgment call based on our observation of the river conditions at 7:00 a.m. As soon as management found out that the river conditions changed dramatically without apparent reason, we cancelled all remaining trips. Customer safety is of utmost importance to us and we would never intentionally put anybody in an unsafe situation."

Sheriff Sam Page said this is a good reminder for everyone to be safe on the water-ways, especially after a lot of rain and storms. Right now the Dan River is extremely high and currents are very strong, Sheriff Page said.